Eating Disorder Signs & Symptoms

Signs of Disordered Eating

It’s no secret that we live in a diet-obsessed and beauty-crazed society. Just turn on the TV and count the seconds before you catch an ad for the latest weight-loss fad or seductive images of a bikini-clad model biting into a fast-food chain’s hamburger. Many women and men are feeling the pressure to achieve society’s narrow definitions of “beauty.” Fighting our body’s natural weight and size may begin as an innocuous effort to increase body satisfaction yet can quickly unravel to a serious and potentially life-threatening illness. Nearly 20 million women and 10 million men will suffer from an eating disorder in their lifetime.

Most people can say they’ve heard of or know of someone who struggled with Anorexia, Bulimia, or Binge Eating Disorder. However, there is much confusion about a lesser known eating disorder that is often hidden under the guise of health – Orthorexia. The term Orthorexia describes individuals who develop an unhealthy obsession with avoiding any and all foods that are deemed unhealthy. What’s wrong with that you ask? Well, an extreme fixation with eliminating many types of foods or ingredients can lead to malnutrition and even death. Read the signs and symptoms of the various types of eating disorders: